Posted By DJ Bean On January 21, 2014 @ 6:09 pm In General | 8 Comments

The Bruins announced a two-year, one-way extension for Kevan Miller worth $1.6 million Tuesday. The 26-year-old defenseman’s deal will begin next season and run through 2015-16 with an annual cap hit of $800,000.

Miller has skated in 16 games for the Bruins, scoring one goal and contributing an assist for two points and seven penalty minutes. A right-shot defenseman, he has been in the lineup with fellow righties Dougie Hamilton and Adam McQuaid out.

The signing is a logical one for the Bruins. Should they see a future in Boston for him, he provides them with an NHL-caliber blueliner who can play on the third pairing or be the seventh defenseman. It also makes him more valuable in a potential trade, as was the case last season when the Bruins signed restricted free agent to be Matt Bartkowski prior to including him in last season’s deal-that-wasn’t with the Flames.

His presence long-term could also provide something of a redundancy with he and McQuaid, the latter of whom is in the second year of a three-year deal with an annual cap hit of $1.566 million.